Shane Ray Finding Good Chemistry With Shaquil Barrett Despite Different Paths
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Shane Ray recorded his second career sack on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. He was happy to talk about that, and when it first hit him that he's in the NFL on Xfinity Monday Live with CBS4's Vic Lombardi.
Ray said it first really hit him that was now an NFL player the day after the draft.
"All of the craziness is over, you know, all of the emotional ride -- that's done. And then you wake up and you have that jersey that they give you. And I'm in my hotel room and I was just looking at it, and I was like, 'Wow, I'm really a Denver Bronco,'" Ray said. "So I put on my jersey and my mom came in my room and I said, 'Hey Mom, we really did it.'"
"So that's when I really realized it. And then, of course, when I got here for OTAs and training and everything; that's when it actually became a realization, 'Okay, now this is my job.' And I love it."
It's his job and he's been doing it well. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr found that out when Ray recorded his second sack of the season and career.
"We had a rush on and I was just able to get a bull rush in on the tackle … I set him up on power and was able to get to Derek Carr and bring him down," Ray said.
Lombardi compared Ray's road to the NFL to Shaquil Barrett's. Barrett spent the whole season last year on the practice squad where he had to claw and scratch his way onto the active roster. Ray was a first-round draft pick who was expected to play immediately. Ray says seeing Barrett's work ethic definitely rubs off on him.
"Shaq is hungry and he's shown that sitting out last year. It impacted him in a way that he's wanted to be very productive. He comes to practice, he works hard every day, he does everything that is asked of him as far as special teams and coaching," Ray said. "He goes out and makes plays and you can't ask for more from anybody -- especially from a guy who's been in that position.
"When I see Shaq making plays like that, it does rub off on me. It lets me know, 'Hey, this guy is hungry, this is how I need to play every down -- like I have nothing left.' It definitely raises our chemistry between each other as well."
He said when they're on the field together they will look at each other like they both expect each other to make the plays.
"It's kind of how Von (Miller) and DeMarcus (Ware) are."
- By Matthew J. Buettner, CBSDenver.com
